Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

I set out looking to interview five more people. These people would be people who should have the unmet need that I have identified, but for some reason, do not. I was hoping this would be difficult to do, and it was, but once I realized what I was looking for, it became easier. As it turns out, there are people who have found a way to solve this problem. However, thankfully, they are specific, small groups of people that are lucky enough to be in a position that it was made possible.

Who:

            After conducting my interviews, I found several different specific types of people that should share the unmet need I identified but for some reason, do not. The first type of person I identified in this category are people who by chance have a network of friends large enough that it is not a concern attempting to find a sublease for their rent. Frequently, it seems as though members of Greek life at universities have an easier time finding people to sublease their apartment for any time period they will not be living in it. Based on my interviews, this is because there is a vast network of over 100 people in these communities who all know each other. With that being said, it is better for them to sublease from each other, because they are comfortable and confident with each other’s reliability. Additionally, it is preferable for them to sublease into a place where they know the others living there, and when they are all in the same Greek organization that is almost always the case.

            The next group I identified was people who know before signing a lease that they plan to be away from campus for a certain time period, and are capable of finding a sublease. If someone is fortunate enough to know confidently their schedule for the next year, for example, the person I interviewed knew she wanted to study abroad last fall for over a year, she was able to choose a living arrangement that worked for that. Instead of signing a full year lease, she chose to sublease from someone for the spring semester alone so that she would not have to be responsible for a lease when she was not there.

            The third group I found was people who are able to find residences that offer monthly rent rather than annual leases. While this is risky because you can be kicked out or have prices changed on you at any moment, the person I interviewed far prefers this method to signing a lease. By paying monthly rent, he does not have to ever worry about finding someone to sublease his place if he is gone. Additionally, it is never a concern of his whether or not he will have a place to live during the summer weeks when many students leases end while they are still taking classes. By not signing a concrete lease but having a strong relationship with their landlord, they are able to have a more flexible living arrangement than many other renters in the area.

What:

            The need here differs at the problem solution step. While these people have the exact same issue as many others, they happen to be in lucky arrangements where the solution is easier for them. A vast majority of people will not have a network of over 100 close friends that are all looking for a sublease and interested to live together, or the ability to find a sublease because they know exactly what they will be doing over a year from now, or a close relationship with a landlord that allows you to pay monthly rent with no actual lease period. The need is actually exactly the same, yet the solution is vastly different. These individuals prove that there are solutions to the issue identified, but also solidify the fact that there is no easy solution for the masses. It increases my confidence in this idea knowing that these people’s solutions is not one possible for the masses.

Why:

            The underlying cause here is exactly the same. Both groups are in need of a solution to annual leases that do not align with a majority of resident’s schedules. Both groups are looking for a solution to this problem, yet one is in a convenient position that they have an easy answer. Additionally while the ultimate goal is to not pay rent when it is unnecessary and these groups have seemingly found the solution, it is not feasible for everyone to use their solutions. Greek organizations are often costly and many people are simply not interested in them. Additionally, while some people know when they plan to go abroad, what semesters they plan to be on campus and so on, many people do not know these things or when they will, making planning ahead of time to account for it impossible. Finally, having a personal relationship with a landlord like the one described in one of my interviews is near impossible to find, making that extremely unlikely as a solution for most people as well.

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Who is in? People who are stuck in annual leases that do not intend on living in the place they are paying for throughout their entire lease.	Who is out? People who also do not plan on being somewhere for an entire year but have found a way to pay rent while not being responsible for an entire year of rent.
What is the need? The need is to find a way to have a place to live when they need it and not be responsible for paying for it when they do not. While annual leases provide them with a place to live when they need it, people very rarely spend an entire year living in a college town and ultimately end up paying for rent while they are not living there.	What the Need Is Not? The need is not to create a solution for everyone. Many people prefer to sublease from someone or find someone to sublease from them when they are gone. If someone has the ability to pay month-to-month without a lease that is probably preferred by them as well. The need is more focused on helping people who are looking for a specific type of lease, one that centers around the school schedule without too long term of commitment.
Why the Need Exists? The need exists because rental properties refuse to create leases that align with student schedules. A vast majority of Gainesville rental property clientele is college students. These students are rarely here for an entire year. Why should they be subject to full year leases? This is a scheme by rental companies in attempt to get more money from more students by having rent accounted for in places where nobody lives. As soon as there is an option that satisfies the needs of students who do not spend 12 months of the year in their college town the need will no longer exist.	Alternative Explanations? There are many niche cases where this issue does not exist for people. They may be spending a full year here, they may have someone lined up to sublease from them, they may be subleasing themselves because they already had plans of leaving at some point during the year. While many people have specific situations which gives them an alternative solution, there are no mainstream ways of solving this problem faced by so many students yet.